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剣

sabre
Stroke count: 10

Readings

On readingケン
Kun readingつるぎ
JLPT level: N1JōyōGrade 8

Meanings

  1. sabre
  2. blade
  3. clock hand
  4. sword
    彼は剣で殺された。He was killed with a sword.tatoeba
  5. saberRtK
  1. sword (esp. a large, double-edged one)
  2. bayonet
  3. swordsmanship
  4. stinger

Popular Usage

真剣

Radicals and components

Radical刀knife刂variant
Components
How it's built
剣
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Mnemonic (RtK)

ⓘ

sabre (刀) · awl · fit · meeting · umbrella · mouth (口) · person (人) · sword (刀) · sabre (刀)

From "Remembering the Kanji" by James Heisig · Frame 1801

Compound words

真剣しんけん
serious; earnest; real sword (as opposed to a wooden practice weapon)
剣劇けんげき
sword play; samurai drama
剣士けんし
swordsman; swordswoman; fencer
剣道けんどう
kendo; Japanese martial art using bamboo swords
刀剣とうけん
sword; dagger; knife; bayonet
剣客けんかく
master swordsman
剣橋ケンブリッジ
Cambridge
剣玉けんだま
kendama
剣形けんがた
sword shape
剣戟けんげき
weapons
剣豪けんごう
great swordsman
剣山けんざん
needle-point holder (in ikebana)
剣璽けんじ
sacred sword and jewels (imperial regalia)
剣鉈けんなた
sturdy broad-bladed knife, used in woodcraft and hunting (tapered, unlike a regular nata)
短剣たんけん
dagger, short sword
抜剣ばっけん
drawing a sword
名剣めいけん
famous sword
木剣ぼっけん
wooden sword (bokken)
佩剣はいけん
wearing a sword
牛蒡剣ゴボウけん
bayonet
手裏剣しゅりけん
shuriken
草薙剣くさなぎのつるぎ
Kusanagi no Tsurugi (alternate name for Ama-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi; the sword of the Imperial regalia)
剣を抜くつるぎをぬく
to draw a sword
諸刃の剣もろはのつるぎ
double-edged sword

Additional Examples

彼は物事を真剣に考え過ぎる傾向にある。
He tends to consider things too much earnestly.tatoeba
彼は非常な剣幕で私をにらみ付けた。
He glared at me fiercely.tatoeba
彼は仕事をゆっくりする。それは彼が物事を真剣にやるからだ。
He works slowly, because he takes things seriously.tatoeba

Stroke Order

10 strokes

Practice Writing

Practice Writing 剣

Draw with a guide, then from memory — checked at every step